The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Nasarawa State has trained over 50 women on spice production in order to enable them to become self-reliant.
Alhaji Dauda Idris-Wase, State Coordinator, NDE, Nassarawa state, said at the graduation ceremony of the participants in Lafia on Friday, that the training was to make the women contribute to national development.
Idris-Wase said the aim of the training was to teach women the value and health properties of spices and how to produce and package them for commercial purposes as well as make a living out of it.
He said that the directorate was up and doing in training unemployed Nigerians in order to tackle restiveness and unemployment as well as improve on their standard of living.
According to him, it is in line with NDE’s mandate to train people, especially youths and women in different skills to make them self-reliant in order to contribute to national development.
Idris-Wase said the training was conducted in conjunction with the Office of the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development.
He said the Minister, Dame Pauline Tallen, mobilised most of the participants and the NDE financed the training.
“We gather here today to celebrate the completion of training of 50 women by NDE in the state.
“They have been trained within the week on how to make, produce, package and market six different items of spices.
“Spices are ingredients used to improve the taste of our foods which include curry powder, complete mix, jollof rice spices, fish seasoning, ginger spices and black pepper mix, among others.
“Spices are known to be rich in zinc (which boosts immunity), blood thinners, vitamins, and antioxidants which are the natural elements,’’ he said.
The state coordinator urged the beneficiaries to use the knowledge gained in the training to become self-reliant and employers of labour.
He also expressed the scheme’s readiness to collaborate with government, individuals and other bodies to tackle youths and women restiveness in the country.
Mrs. Elsie Monde, the Chairperson of the occasion and state All Progressives Congress (APC) Woman Leader, lauded the Federal Government for tackling youths and women restiveness through its various skills acquisition programmes.
Monde, represented by Amina Aliyu, the Woman Leader, APC, Lafia Local Government Area, urged the beneficiaries to use the skills learnt and become self-reliant.
Responding, Halima Abubakar, a beneficiary, who spoke on behalf of other beneficiaries, thanked NDE for the training and promised that they would become good ambassadors of the scheme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the graduation ceremony also featured presentation of testimonials to the trainees by the NDE. ( NAN)
